The third slam of the season is upon us as 128 men descend upon London, England, for the 2024 Wimbledon Championships. The All England Club draw has given us some scintillating first-round matchups, including Daniil Medvedev vs Aleksandar Kovacevic. As always, we at LWOT have our roundtable predictions for all the Wimbledon action. Ateet Shrivastava, Glenys Furness, and Shane Black offer their insights.
Wimbledon Men’s Day 1 Predictions
Ugo Humbert vs Alexander Shevchenko
Ateet
Ugo Humbert’s game is perfect for grass but he hasn’t quite translated that into wins this season. He lost in his opening round matches in his last two events and will look to correct that. Shevchenko hasn’t won a match on grass this year and only won one in his short career so far. Humbert is the more experienced player on this surface and his flat strokes will be too hot to handle for Shevchenko.
Prediction: Humbert in 4
Glenys
Ugo Humbert lost early in Queens and Mallorca. The Frenchman struggles a bit on grass. However, Shevchenko failed to qualify for Halle and lost in the second round in Mallorca. With both not performing particularly well on grass, this match could go either way.
Prediction: Humbert in 4
Shane
Humbert has been playing some of the best tennis of his career in 2024. His game is suited for grass and he has had previous Wimbledon success. Shevchenko does not have much history on the grass and will be up against it Monday.
Prediction: Humbert in 3
Lorenzo Sonego vs Mariano Navone
Ateet
Sonego has been struggling for wins this year but he showed a good level in his last match against Alexander Zverev. He has performed well in the last three editions of Wimbledon and will back himself to win against Mariano Navone, who has played all year mostly on clay and has little grass court experience.
Prediction: Sonego in 4
Glenys
Navone lost in the first round at Queens and at Eastbourne. The Argentine does not really favour the grass courts. Sonego lost in the second round in Eastbourne and Halle. Neither of these players have done well on the grass. Navone is seeded at Wimbledon, but that doesn’t mean an easy ride.
Prediction: Sonego in 5
Shane
Although it has not been the best season for Sonego, he is the much more comfortable player on grass. Navone has never won a tour-level match on the surface.
Prediction: Sonego in 4
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Alexandre Muller vs Hugo Gaston
Ateet
Two Frenchmen face off in this match who prefer to play on clay and have very little experience on grass. Hugo Gaston has played three matches in qualifying and he looked solid in them. Muller is the more aggressive player but he also likes time on his shots. Gaston has more variety with excellent drop shots. This match can go either way but I like Gaston more.
Prediction: Gaston in 5
Glenys
A battle of the Frenchmen. Gaston took the last meeting between the pair, which took place at the Challenger in Lyon, on clay. Neither Muller and Gaston have played on grass this season at an official event. This is going to be a very interesting match for a neutral.
Prediction: Gaston in 4
Shane
Gaston is arguably the most unpredictable player on tour. You never know what level he will bring, but after advancing through three rounds of qualifying, I expect him to be ready to go on Monday. Muller has had a solid season but has virtually no experience on the grass.
Prediction: Gaston in 4
Daniil Medvedev vs Aleksandar Kovacevic
Ateet
Daniil Medvedev hasn’t been at his absolute best in the last couple of months but he is always a quality player and performs at his best in Slams. He has a good first-round match to get himself into rhythm. Kovacevis has little to no experience on grass and won’t pose a problem to last year’s semifinalist.
Prediction: Medvedev in 3
Glenys
Daniil Medvedev lost early in Halle and has not played another official event in the lead-up to Wimbledon. Aleksandar Kovacevic failed to qualify for both Queens and Eastbourne. However, this does not mean that he doesn’t have grass credentials.
Prediction: Medvedev in 3
Shane
We all know how much Medvedev loves hard courts, but his game translates well to the grass. His serve and first strike tennis should lead him to a straightforward victory over Kovacevic, who always seems to draw heavyweights in the first round of slams.
Prediction: Medvedev in 3
Main Photo Credit: Peter van den Berg – USA TODAY Sports